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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30088359">Phoenix-Verse 01 - Rising</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/zxandris/pseuds/zxandris'>zxandris</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phoenix-Verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Magicians (TV), Wanda - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:14:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,648</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30088359</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/zxandris/pseuds/zxandris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Having lived a very long life in his home, Harry adventures to new pastures and starts a new life full of fun, intriuge and heros.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry/Other(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phoenix-Verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2213889</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 00 - Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Title: PV01 - Rising<br/>Series: Phoenix-Verse<br/>Author: Lucifael (lucifael75@gmail.com)<br/>Website: http://www.deimos-design.co.uk/lufic/index.php<br/>Summary: Having lived a very long life in his home, Harry adventures to new pastures and starts a new life full of fun, intriuge and heros.<br/>Disclaimer: All recognisable media, TV, Comics and their characters belong to their rightful owners, which isn't Lucifael, also I make no money from this venture it's freely shared entertainment only.<br/>Warnings: Nothing Too Much<br/>Tags: Action/Adventure/Character<br/>Genre: Adventure<br/>Rating: FR18 - M</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Disclaimer</strong>: <em>All recognisable media, TV, Comics and their characters belong to their rightful owners, which isn't Me, also I make no money from this venture it's freely shared entertainment only.  This applies to the entire story, I didn't put this up before, and I should've.</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>Cottage, Godric's Hollow, Wales, UK</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>A Long Time Ago</strong>
</p>
<p>Harry Potter's emerald regard was on the items in front of him.  After faking out his friends, for which he did feel a little guilty, he had collected all three of the Deathly Hallows.  He wasn't sure why he'd done it, but by luck or even perhaps a little bit of destiny all three were now in his possession.  As far as he was aware this was the first time this had happened in their storied past, full of blood shed and anger and a great deal of wasted effort.  He knew now a few things he hadn't, the supposed prize for one.  It turned out that Luna, and her family, were rather knowledgeable about the Hallows, and in discussion with his odd friend he had found out a lot more detail than was covered by the children's stories.</p>
<p>Master of Death, this wasn't something he wanted to be in truth.  So he was a little unsure why he'd ended up with the items.  A cloak, a wand and a stone.  All three had immense power by themselves, and said to have far more as a collective.  Well, that's what had happened, he'd collected all three, they were there on his hastily arranged kitchen table, like all the other furniture in his little cottage in the village his parents had hidden in.  He'd decided to come here, and not return to school, in the interim between ending Voldemort's threat and that day.  He wasn't entirely sure what he wanted out of the future.  This had been much clearer once, a family, a wife, friends who cared. But now he was actually in a position to potentially gain all three he suddenly doubted that's what he really wanted out of life.</p>
<p>He wasn't average, he knew that now.  You couldn't consider yourself average after his life, not from his very birth had he been remotely average, or normal.  In some ways perhaps the Dursley's were right, he was a freak, but perhaps not in the way they said it.  A freak is after all someone that doesn't conform to the norm, and having now lived quite a while in an action intensive life, he wasn't so sure he wanted to stop.  The world was full of strife, hell if it came to it he could join the armed forces, they always needed able bodied people, and after the life he had lived he had gotten very good at something that they'd find useful.  Namely he had survived, against sometimes truly tremendous odds, he was still here.</p>
<p>Not that he really thought about doing that, at least – not yet.  He didn't think he'd altogether fit with the strict and regimented life style of the forces.  Not really, he was now too used to carving out his own path.  Even with all the interference in controlling his life he was STILL in control.  He'd say that was another thing he had a passing talent for, controlling his destiny.  The only true thing he'd been unable to manage himself was the fact he HAD indeed ended Voldemort's reign of terror.  He had been marked, he had done the deed, all as prophetized by the old bat with the coke bottom glasses had prescribed.</p>
<p>There had, in the end, been no way out of that.  He'd have to suppose this was something else that had the taste of Destiny all over it too.  The Hallows, how he'd come to own them didn't make a lot of sense otherwise.  Dumbledore had all the stone and cloak and given them with no demand to Harry.  He had at one time given him the Cloak too, but Harry didn't think the old man truly realised what he'd had actually.  Dumbledore was a manipulative old coot, there was no denying that, but he was a far cry from malicious or even Harry would have to say generally his intentions, if not actions, were pretty pure.  Laying this on the head of a now 18 year old seemed unlikely done on purpose, sure the prophesy, and all that with Voldemort, but desperation and destiny had a hand in that more than old Dumbledore.  There  had been times when Harry had been quite angry with that old man, but not any more.  Not now he'd held the lives of his fellow students in his palm, he'd've done basically anything to save them the fates some had suffered, and wasn't that what Dumbledore had been doing, but for the entire world.</p>
<p>No, he wasn't angry at the headmaster now.</p>
<p>But this, all three of the Deathly Hallows were there, almost begging to be used.  He felt the magic on them, he'd been significantly more sensitive to such since he'd gotten the Horcrux out of his head.  Quite a lot had changed thanks to dying it seemed, like he was growing fast, out and up, bulking to a healthy size and shape finely after the abuses heaped upon him in formative years.  He'd been rather stunted by that and the Horcrux, an actual part of Voldemort's soul that had fed on him, bodily, spiritually, and even mentally if Harry was right.  Either that or he was suddenly a lot more clever than he used to be.</p>
<p>He reached out, his hand hovered over the Death Stick, the Elder Wand.  Said to be unbeatable, which if you knew its history was laughable.  The cloak was supposed to hide you from death itself, but had failed several times to prove that infallible, and the stone...people had wasted away using that power.  His hand withdrew, he shook his head.</p>
<p>No, they were too dangerous.  He knew that, their individual power had ended a lot of lives, together they could only be far worse.  He picked up the stick, holding it in two hands, tensing.  If he broke this, and destroyed the others he could stop the trail of death they had created, but also, he would be denying himself what could prove to be power absolute.  That gave him a moment of pause, then he thought about all that death and destruction and in an almost reflex action there was a loud snap, a wash of potent magic and the Elder wand was no more.  He picked up a skillet from close by, then still working on instinct he smashed the stone.  The skillet was of the old type, heavy iron, solid as all hell, and destroyed the stone to dust.  Then he paused again, the cloak – it had been in his family for ages.  He shook his head, taking it up he carried it to the merry blaze in the fire place and threw it in.</p>
<p>His shoulders sagged, a small smile coming to his face.  He knew he could never tell anyone he had done this, Luna may actually get angry, Hermione surely would and Ron would think him crazy to deny himself such a clear advantage in his coming battles.</p>
<p>But no, this was better, if not for him then the countless lives they would've ruined in times to come.  He was almost sure that somehow they would've gotten away from him had he tried to hide them, like they WANTED to be used.  No, destroying them was the best choice.</p>
<p>Then the fire flamed, the entire cottage shook, and an all encompassing wave of magic turned the air electric blue.</p>
<p>"Oh Shitttt" was all Harry had time to say before darkness pervaded and he was knocked clean out.</p>
<p>* * *<br/><strong>Romania, Eastern Europe,</strong><br/><strong>A Year Later</strong></p>
<p>Charlie Weasley looked around as he felt the solid thump and shifting slightly of the ground.  It was enough to put a smile on his face as he turned to be faced with a really, very large black dragon.  It was like it was from legend, everything one might imagine a more western take on dragons and a little bit more.  Having now known him a little better, it was typically Harry Potter that he would have a form like this, and it was nothing if not impressive.</p>
<p>Still smiling Charlie turned and smiled, "All done?" he asked.</p>
<p>The huge black dragon with the oh-so distinctive emerald eyes suddenly shifted in a confusing view that rearranged limbs, moving upright and shrinking, loosing mass like crazy, then finally a humanoid form with very large dragon wings which folded back while getting smaller and then forming into a very smart and long black coat, clearly made of dragon hide, not that this was of a surprise to those in the know.  Charlie figured himself truly blessed to be one of those that did.  This was mostly at the start because Harry had needed advice from an expert that he could somewhat trust, but that had built into a solid friendship.</p>
<p>"All done, rounded them up and they are in the western pen," Harry said smiling widely at his older friend, though these days, not that it mattered so much. Harry had become aware he'd outlive him, outlive most anyone.  What he'd thought had been a noble act had only been a part of his destiny in reality, and he had the full measure of the Deathly Hallow's gift, if one might think of it as such.  "I had to talk the Alpha around, so he'll need a bit of touching up." he added wryly.  "They all freaked a bit when they spotted me, so after I controlled the Alpha I had to really convince them I wasn't about to kill them for being on my territory.  Honestly Dragons are real posers." Harry chuckled at the end.</p>
<p>Charlie laughed, "Oh right...and you're not?" he said waving his hand down the dragon hide attired man, all black, form fitting and would normally cost a kings ransom, unless you had a source of skin that is.  Harry was after all wearing his own hide as clothing.   It looked damn good on him, and in the intervening time since he became the Man-Who-Won he had continued that streak, continually beating those that threatened the little guy.  Having been called in by ministries and governments the world over to help them out.  He was actually pretty busy, and his family money had been invested in both sides of the world and now a relatively short couple of years later Harry never had to worry about his needs.</p>
<p>"Me?" Harry pointed to himself innocently before barking a laugh.  Then grinned a self deprecating smile, "If you're going to something you might as well look good doing it."</p>
<p>"Yeah, yeah...bad as Bill you" Charlie chuckled, "Anyway I wanted to say thanks mate.  You've saved us a hell of a lot of trouble and potentially losing people.  I know I shouldn't take advantage of my knowledge of your form, but still...thanks, seriously."</p>
<p>"Nah, it's all good mate, if I can help I'm more than happy to do so.  Anyway, you know as well as I do it would've leaked eventually, so I got out in front of it.  And now it just seems to add to my mythos that I'm a Dragon Animagus."</p>
<p>Charlie snickered, "You must think I'm an idiot.   Animagi are never magical animals." he noted wryly.</p>
<p>Harry grinned, with a shrug, "It suits me for people to believe that, who am I to dissuade them.  Minerva knows of course, Hermione guessed otherwise, but outside of them and you no-one has ever noticed that little fact."</p>
<p>Charlie chuckled, "So what is in store now for the saviour of the world?  The Man-Who-Won?" he asked with rueful amusement.</p>
<p>"Gah...honestly what is it with Wizards and hyphens?" Harry asked making a face.</p>
<p>Charlie chuckled, "Dunno, our innate sense of style?"</p>
<p>Harry looked at him, "Yeah...tell that to Dumbledore, or any other wizard as they are all colour blind.  And anyway, I have no idea, but there are rumblings out in the Congo about a Dark Pact Rising."</p>
<p>Charlie rolled his eyes, "Not content with everyone looking for your help you've got to go looking for trouble?  No offence mate, but I'm kinda glad you and Ginny broke up.  Don't get me wrong here, not even slightly liked any of the other blokes she's dated like I do you, but you'd give her grey hair!  I think Mum is actually getting stressed at the work you choose to do."</p>
<p>Harry smiled, "I do love your mum, but I have to be what I am, ya know?"</p>
<p>"I know, I know mate, and it's noble what you do, but I don't know how the hell you keep surviving, let alone winning!"</p>
<p>Harry smiled a massive cheesy smile, "I'm Harry Potter!" he said striking a pose.</p>
<p>Charlie pushed him, making him nearly fall over, "Yeah...yeah…"</p>
<p>* * *<br/><strong>Athena, Mars</strong><br/><strong>Three Hundred and Fifty Years Later</strong></p>
<p>Harry's ageless emerald regard took in the craft lifting off the ground smoothly.  The human race had come a startlingly long way in his lifetime, from hardly looking to space any more there had been a sudden resurgence of interest.  The moon, a colony there, then Mars had been looked at with a gaze turned to making it inhabitable and now a new colony and this, the first manned flight to Alpha Centauri that wouldn't take several life times to pull off.</p>
<p>Harry had watched it all with a growing sense of awe, throwing money into the hat himself to help further the goals of mankind, and flitting in and out of the limelight as one of the chief protectors of humanity.  He'd gone from protecting a small sub-set of humans who really couldn't do it themselves to being more wide spread than that, especially since two hundred years ago when the last student had entered Hogwarts.  There were so few like him left now, Hermione had lasted two hundred years, and loosing her had nearly killed his will to live, but she'd known him well.  She'd made a statement in her will, a pensieve memory to be exact and basically informed him to get over it, to celebrate her life and not mourn her death, that due to his circumstances, which obviously he'd eventually told her, he would see many out of their lives, and here and now he had to learn the right attitude.  That he'd been able to share in their lives for as long as possible, and that was a thing to celebrate, sure miss them, miss her, but not to the detriment of himself.</p>
<p>It was an uplifting speech and used her knowledge of Harry like a finely honed blade to cut it into his thick skull, but it had worked.</p>
<p>He watched the smooth lift off, when he had arrived some 80 years ago he'd done so by a highly advanced rocket strapped to their asses.  Now they had anti-grav drives that could propel a craft through space at a dizzying rate of knots.  There was no fire and danger with this, it almost took the fun out of it.  His friends had taught something very important to Harry.  Have fun in life, have fun doing what you do, and above all if you're not enjoying it, you're doing something wrong.  This was particularly true of George Weasley who had even lost his soul twin and still carried on, ran the joke shop into his dotage and always had an easy smile and a laugh behind his eyes ready to burst into laughter at a moment's notice.  Usually at someone else's' expense it was true, but it hit Harry that he was FAR too serious and after that he'd actually looked and saw the humour in any situation.</p>
<p>He'd never really found his partner in life though, and had lived as a much loved uncle to his friends and their kids, being able to baby sit, spoil them rotten and generally had a lot of love in his life, even now. Of course it was Hermione Great Grandson who had entered Hogwarts just before they closed their doors, it was like magic was dying but Harry knew in his soul it was more like it was going to sleep for a while.  His birth race was basically gone now, well the sub-set at least, so Harry had turned his eye to a wider realm.  He didn't help quite as directly as he used to, but occasionally he did step up.  No, he did help a LOT in other ways, driving technology and was proud to say he was a driving force behind that fabulous vessel on it's historic lift off he was watching.</p>
<p>He was almost ridiculously rich now, but he did put back as much as he could, but it was almost like it was hard to actually, you know...spend money these days.</p>
<p>He leaned back in his chair sipping the champagne laid on for the occasion.  Thanks to some charms, even a touch of make up he looked far older than the twenty odd he really looked.  He'd actually stopped ageing at 18, but his body had filled out, changing enough that he actually looked a decent age, and not get carded all the time.  But these days he gave the impression of ageing, and pretty soon he would have to duck out from the lime light again, run things by proxy and then some time later step back in and get things moving if they had lagged in the interim.</p>
<p>He smiled, ageless eyes watching as the vessel disappeared into the man-made atmosphere and toasted it.</p>
<p>"Mr Adventus...sir, they're reporting Green across the board." his assistant said softly.</p>
<p>Harry had to change his name a lot of course, but that was the name of his corporation now and he used it most.  He'd been a potter longest, then a Black, even a Noir until he'd decided to break the mould.  "Thanks, tell them to hit it Steph" he said with a smile, his English accent somehow still surviving despite the fact England didn't actually exist as it had once done.</p>
<p>He toasted the sky again, seeing the flash up in the topper most parts of the artificial atmosphere as they engaged the FTL and smiled.  If this worked out, Mankind was about to spread out into the stars like they'd never dreamed they could.</p>
<p>Life was good.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 01</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Disclaimer</strong>: <em>All recognisable media, TV, Comics and their characters belong to their rightful owners, which isn't Me, also I make no money from this venture it's freely shared entertainment only.  This applies to the entire story, I didn't put this up before, and I should've.</em></p><p>
  <strong>Jaden Bar, Queens, New York, Universe 02</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>A GREAT Many Years Later</strong>
</p><p>Julia Wicker wasn't feeling her best.  Her best friend had just laid down the smack unto her and she wasn't feeling especially good about that.  It was perhaps worse as to the source, she'd heard a few similar things usually from jealous people who didn't admire that she was generally speaking the smartest person in a room, as well as one of the most attractive.  But she'd never expected it from Quintin, especially about something so important to her.  He'd told her that she wasn't good enough, that she wasn't the best for once, and that bugged her.  IT wasn't hubris to say generally if she turned her mind to something then she got VERY good at it.  She had a feeling, a strong feeling that magic was different only in the extremes.  She felt not only would she be capable, but amazing at magic.  Once tasted it felt like it had been missing her entire life, going so far as to make her outsmart the bastards that had tried to take the memory from her.  They said she failed the test, and while it was possible as she was, after all, only human.  Somehow she really doubted it.  It felt false, felt contrived, and she didn't know why, in fact all she KNEW currently that she HAD to learn magic.</p><p>She let out a stream of smoke, eyes contemplative and trying to hide the hurt she was feeling, she'd go to the bathroom in a minute to wash the tears off her face, then try to get out of the birthday bash they were having for her, but right then she was disinterested in moving.</p><p>Then suddenly the air not five feet from her 'wavered'.  She tilted her head, long brunette tresses falling to the side of her head and framing her as she looked at the disturbance in the air curiously.  Oddly, she wasn't frightened, she knew she should be, but oddly she just didn't feel it.  The waver became more solid, then took on a third dimension, like a swirling vortex, then the air charged with a feeling she'd only just started to know to recognize as magical.  Again she wasn't frightened, in fact opposingly she felt this was in some way a good thing to happen.  Like some instinct she hadn't consciously known she had was trusted enough that she wasn't freaking out like she knew she SHOULD be.</p><p>The vortex she was looking at cleared a little allowing her to see through it, what looked like a desolate landscape was seen, though where this was leading to she had no idea.  She recognised no land marks, and the sand was entirely the wrong colour for anything she'd learned about in high school.  Then her eyes shot wide as an enormous black 'Dragon' suddenly swooped into view.  It was everything one might dream a dragon could be, but as far as she was aware there was no such thing, but with magic coming into her life she wasn't willing to discount the possibility, any possibility any more. It was beautiful, sunlight glittering on obsidian scales showing a raven hue that made them sheen a slight but dark green, and its eyes were the brightest, clearest emerald colour she'd ever seen in her life.  Then she got a second shock and a touch of worry as it seemed to land right in front of where the vortex was pointing, wherever that was.  It looked over its shoulder at the sky which Julia realised was changing to a rather vivid and fiery orange.  Then its wings folded back and it started to shrink as it strode towards the mouth of the portal, at least she assumed that was what it was.  As it did it 'changed' one moment she was looking at a dragon, then as it reached its side it was more humanoid, by time 'HE' stepped through it was a man.</p><p>And Oh Boy, what a man!</p><p>He was jaw droopingly attractive, still with those amazing eyes she'd been rapt on with the dragon, or perhaps his true, or other form of a dragon at least.  Then his wings folded back further transforming into a long, stylish and tailored really long leather looking dust jacket, split like the old west used to and flapping behind him like an action movie or something.  Then he was through the portal, didn't notice her at first, turning he closed the portal just as a MASSIVE conflagration of explosive potential rolled out of the sky towards them.  He sighed sadly, "I'll miss you old friend," he said his tone weary, but then he turned, and brightened, "Oh… 'Ello" he said in a crisp English accent that for some reason, to Julia, made him just that bit more delicious.  "You … saw that?" he asked.  "You really shouldn't have done, not unless...you wouldn't have…" he smiled massively, "You're not magical in anyway are you?" he asked seemingly excited by the prospect.</p><p>Julia knew he was a stranger, knew he could be evil or something, and yet found herself trusting him enough to say, "Actually I think I am, yes."</p><p>"Wonderful, I was a little concerned there wouldn't be any here!" he said seemingly very pleased.  "How marvellous and not two seconds after I traverse I find a magic, and a very beautiful one if I might say." he told her with a true woman slaying smile she seriously doubted ever failed him.  She had a long term boyfriend, and damn it, it worked on her just as easily as she was sure it would anything with a Y in their makeup.</p><p>"Urh...Thanks" she said, honestly feeling rather lush at the compliment.  She was often remarked on for her looks, but somehow it meant more coming from this absolute Adonis, like his standards would be higher or something.</p><p>He sucked on his finger then held it up in the air in front of him, like he was testing the wind direction, then tilted his head and smiled, "Strong here too...new, fresh, vibrant and looking to please." he said, then smiled sadly, "She was rather abused for a while in my home land, started to sleep for such a long time before any other magicals were found after she stopped sulking" he told her, rather confusingly.  "But give a man a gun...someone is going to get shot" he said philosophically.  Then beamed at her again.  She kinda wished he would stop, because it was actually quite hard to think straight when he did that!</p><p>"So...this is going to sound strange, but I did aim for Earth...where am I?" he asked her, leaning forward with his entire focus on her, like she was the most important person in the world, which was oddly flattering too.</p><p>"Urh...New York, Queens to be more exact."</p><p>"Ahh, my favourite city," he smiled, "At least it was, a long time ago." he said, then held out his hand, "Now, what did I just do...did I actually do what I wanted, or is this time related." he said, casting in the air attractively, his hands weaving and drawing complicated sigils in the air that just GLOWED with power.  "Huh, right on the dot!" he said excited.  "Excellent, living it all over again would be so terribly boring after all." he remarked to her.</p><p>"Urh...yeah, sure...whatever you say." she told him agreeably.</p><p>He chuckled, "I'm sorry I must appear a real loon, stepping out of a portal and spouting nonsense at you.  But I just had to leave my home in rather a rush, as you likely saw someone just destroyed it, and well...quite a bit more I'd say.  To actually pull this off on the cuff, I'm a little chuffed it worked.  So excuse the mad Brit!" he told her with a large smile that damned near made her swoon.</p><p>"Now, you use gold here as a basis for currency, at least...I hope you do, though I do have access to other forms of metals." he said, or rather asked her, again focusing on her intently and not even the noise of the bar distracted him, making her feel again, like the only woman in the world.  It was a rather wonderful feeling, she had to admit if only to herself.</p><p>"Urh...of course, what else would we use?"</p><p>"Well now that's a pretty long list, and where I'm from in the end there they used digital currency, Creds they called them."</p><p>"Sorry, can I ask, are you from the future or something?" she had to ask.</p><p>"I suppose, from a certain point of view that's true enough." he said looking like he was thinking it over as he replied, "But things will be not be the same here I shouldn't wonder, so don't go looking for stock tips, or the lotto numbers." he said with a laugh.</p><p>"No, no, I was just...curious really, so let me see if I've got this straight, where you're from...is gone?"</p><p>He nodded, looking at her in a go on… way.</p><p>"You have nothing, you didn't bring anything with you?"</p><p>"Oh, I wouldn't say that, I'm carrying a fair bit more than you'd think." he told her with another gorgeous smile.</p><p>"No place to stay?" she further asked.</p><p>"Urh...well now that you come to mention it...no."</p><p>"No money, as yet, no food, or anything?"</p><p>"Nope, not as such, but I do have things to make some money, probably quite a bit, but that will of course take time, or I'd sink the markets at this stage of it all I suspect." he said stroking his chin.</p><p>"Right," she said, pursing her lips, "So...this is crazy," she added, "But you can stay at mine until you're set up."</p><p>He looked at her a long moment, "That is Crazy, I could be a terrible person, kill you in your sleep or other nastiness.  Why would you offer that, you literally don't know me, we JUST met."</p><p>"I can't explain it, I just KNOW I can trust you, that I should help you and honestly I somehow know that by doing so you'll eventually help me." she said, "So it's hardly a selfless act here, if that helps"</p><p>"Hmm...potentially you're rather sensitive to your magic an are trusting it to lead you here, I mean I'm not a bad person, but there's really no reason for you to trust my word there."</p><p>"I know, as I said it's crazy, but I DO trust this feeling.  I don't think my boyfriend will be happy, so we'll say you're an old friend from before college to appease him."</p><p>"Well, I've been to quite a few higher educational establishments over the years.  I'm Harry by the way.  Lets not be strangers here." he said with another wowzer of a smile.</p><p>"Julia, or just Jules."</p><p>"Nice, I like it, cool name.  I always stuck with Harry for some reasons, even though I've changed my last name a fair bit."</p><p>"You're older than you look, huh!" Julia remarked dryly.</p><p>"Oh yes, that much is VERY true." Harry chuckled.</p><p>* * *<br/><strong>Wicker Residence, New York</strong><br/><strong>Later</strong></p><p>Harry smirked, "I don't think he likes me" he said of the boyfriend Julia had all but frog marched out of her apartment, he'd not wanted to leave Harry alone with her, this much was obvious.  But then with a woman like Julia as attractive as she was, he supposed he understood the idea.  But it was a bad one, soon she would begin to feel caged if he kept that up.</p><p>"I eventually told him you're gay." Julia said with a rather impish smile.</p><p>Harry laughed, "Oh lovely, do I have to play that up?  It wouldn't be the first time I've had to do that I suppose." he said still chuckling.</p><p>"Whatever gets him off my back about this," she shrugged.  "I also told him what I said I would, that you're an old friend from before I met him.  But he might ask Q, and then I'm sunk."</p><p>"Q?  Short for?"</p><p>"Quintin, a VERY old friend who has known me since high school" she informed him.</p><p>"Ahh, well if he's that good a friend maybe he wont' let on."</p><p>"I dunno about that, he was WAY harsh with me earlier, I don't know if we were ever as close as I thought we were."</p><p>"About what, perhaps its just that topic." Harry said, "Some people can have their personal bug bears without it affecting the entire course of your friendship."</p><p>"Magic, I sat and apparently failed the same test he didn't.  He says that means I shouldn't do magic."</p><p>"Can you?"</p><p>"Yes, a little, findings some to do was actually very hard." Julia told him.</p><p>"Then you must, and to be a responsible person and looking around you clearly are, you must then learn to control your magic, if you do not...it WILL control you.  When I was VERY young there was a magical sub-set of humans, VERY highly magical and there was something called accidental magic, uncontrolled acting on unconscious will for the most part usually seen in our kids.  But it's possible with any form of gift that if you don't learn HOW to control it, it will...act out." Harry told her, "I've seen it MANY times, helped more often than not too." he regarded her a long moment, "Perhaps you'd allow me to repay your kindness by doing that for you?"</p><p>Julia beamed, "You'll teach me magic?" she said, more hope in her eyes than Harry wished to see there.</p><p>"It's your Birthright you know, I would've done this without your kindness, but now...with it, I am almost compelled to."Harry told her, "Now the way I do magic takes SERIOUS practice, but I HAVE taught it in the past, relatively quickly, if magic isn't TOO different here, I suspect a woman of your obvious drive and intelligence can handle it.  But it will not be the way they teach it wherever it was your got rejected, I'm almost certain of that.  Of course mine comes with a few advantages." he noted wryly. "I dumped my focus a LONG time ago too."</p><p>"Focus?" she asked, sitting down smiling and looking interested.</p><p>"Yeah, back where I'm from they had to use a focus in the early days of magic, a wand specifically.  Trust me it's worse than it sounds." Harry chuckled, "But while I had to invent this style, it's not so hard to learn, it took me AGES in reality, but learning from me...a few years.  So get used to this face, unless by some chance you turn out to be unworthy you'll need to, as I'm in it all the way or not at all, you need to understand that."</p><p>"I do, I do," she repeated herself in her excitement, "Seriously Harry...this would mean SO much to me."</p><p>"I get that, totally emphasize with that, magic is a birthright you know.  Now whoever choses who gets what is stoned if you ask me.  Some of the evil magical bastards I've fought over the years should NEVER have been allowed magic, but there ya go!" he chuckled at the end, "But you are clearly NOT evil.  And perhaps this is what you were feeling would benefit you.  As I said you'd have to be out right awful for me NOT to teach you, clearly you are anything BUT awful."</p><p>"Thanks" Julia said with a light blush.</p><p>"So you said you can do magic, learned it somehow...show me something?"</p><p>"Right, right, this doesn't always work.  When I tried to show Q earlier it really let me down, almost proved his point."</p><p>"You were all snarled up, relax.  I won't judge you here, honestly magic is best taught rather than scraping it together yourself, so I'm rather impressed you can do a damned thing actually.  So relax, I won't be concerned if it fails, and you have nothing to prove.  I know you're magical by the very fact you saw the portal, it was covered in a triple N anyway."</p><p>"Urh…"</p><p>"Normals, Notice Nothing" Harry chuckled.</p><p>"Oh right, kinda obvious really," she chuckled, "Right…" she said then held out her hands and flicked them, "Damn it…"</p><p>"Calm down" he said softly, "Somewhere inside of you is a well of power, you've done this spell you've felt magic flowing through your body.  Remember that feeling, focus on that, then cast again" he gently coached her.</p><p>She smiled, "Already teaching me" she said eyes bright, then took a breath, focused then smiled.</p><p>"There it is, your eyes just lightened a shade, they were already the most attractive shade of brown, now with magic flowing they're nearly Amber." he said softly so as not to disturb her concentration.  "It's going to work now, so cast."</p><p>She flicked her hands, this time long sparks came from her fingers like white fire works, making her stand quickly so she didn't burn her rug, or chair.</p><p>"Impressive" Harry said with a firm nod, "Okay, now don't push so hard...let it flow back into you, feel it all around you and cut off the external connection, letting the external magic you feel flow into you again."</p><p>Julia nodded, then the sparks started to recede to shorter, then finally away.  She turned to him with a beaming smile, "I felt that!" she said with bright eyes.</p><p>"Good, excellent even.  I'm glad you did, but you'll come to find magic is ALL around us, all the time.  Everywhere I've been even here.  I now believe it's truly universal, magic.  So you can when you learn how, not use your inner reserves, that was a step onto that road.  Clearly you're going to be a sterling student I'm pleased to say.  You must love the idea of having magic."</p><p>"I do, I do, I really REALLY do.  I was huge into Fantasy when I was younger, especially this series of stories that I now take the piss of my friend for still liking, then I found out magic is REAL...and they tried to say I wasn't good enough or something!" she said drooping at the end.</p><p>He smiled and sat forward, "Bollocks." he said clearly.</p><p>"Excuse me?" she asked bemused.</p><p>"You're VERY good," he told her, "Total uninitiated just cast a spell, learned it good knows where and certainly not a proper education, formal or otherwise.  Yeah, you're not only intelligent, you're a bloody natural.  Something else is at foot here, I suggest we find out what."</p><p>"We?"</p><p>Harry smiled, "It's not that I owe you oddly enough, though I do, no I WANT to help you, which is far better."</p><p>"I do like you," she smiled.</p><p>"I'm loveable that way," he said with a cheesy smile.  Of course it was still a ridiculously handsome one, but cheesy as all hell.</p><p>* * *<br/><strong>Wicker Residence, New York</strong><br/><strong>A Week Later</strong></p><p>"That's it" Harry said, his tone soft because of what he had his student doing currently.  It had been a busy week for him, and truly he had the means and perhaps SHOULD move out already.  But he was fully invested in what he was finding a bright, as in genius level student who was bright and engaging and damned right irresistible to what he liked in a woman.  Not that he was pushing anything, the girl had a boyfriend after all, who HATED Harry, but he WAS invested in teaching her.</p><p>She was simply put, and given how long he'd been teaching it was shocking, the BEST student he'd ever had.  She seemed to have a genius level IQ that was oddly applicable to magical studies.  She was intuitive and listened and he only EVER had to explain something once, and usually shortly after she would do what he described, AS he described it.  He really couldn't hope for a better student and was now interested in teaching her more than he'd originally been thinking he would.</p><p>There was a lot of difference from teaching the basics to someone to the things Harry knew, but he felt he had found a spiritual successor in his magic here.  She just GOT it, like he did, like he had when inventing this style in the first place.</p><p>"Steady…" he told her softly, watching her levitation with a haunting half smile on his face, "Casting on someone else is almost TOO easy" he said, in the tone he used all the time teaching.  Pleasant to listen to, softly spoken, and easy to understand.  "Casting on yourself on the other hand is oddly nearly impossible unless you know the trick to it.  Rarely do you see someone casting anything of note on themselves.  Healing, and all that is done by others TOO you.  Rituals can be self directed its true, but direct casting like the levitation I have you doing there takes a special way of looking at casting and it's ALL about the intent of what you're casting."</p><p>She opened one slightly glowing amber with power eye, "I remember, you've told me often how the intent of the spell is the most important part."</p><p>"Show off," he said of her talking and casting, "Seriously right now in a bloody week you're where I was after many years of trial and error."</p><p>"You didn't' have you to teach you.  You're a VERY good teacher Harry."</p><p>"Why t hank you Jules, now lower down, the Boyfriend is due soon.  I'm going to let you two have some personal time, go out and explore a little." Harry said.</p><p>"Okay Harry, but don't feel you HAVE to or anything."</p><p>"That's sweet Jules, but you need your ME time," Harry told her, "I should look for a place, my gold exchanges are going quite well, and I've started a portfolio recently.  Of course the hardest part was finding hackers capable of making my ID bullet proof."</p><p>"I'm just glad you didn't use MY laptop for that." she chuckled lowering to the floor.  She was dressed simply in loose t-shirt and yoga pants, and still was drool inducing if you asked Harry.</p><p>"Very smooth Jules, you rather bright huh"</p><p>"Damned by faint praise" she giggled.</p><p>Harry smiled, then stood from where he was watching sat on the couch, "I'm going to disappear before he gets here.  Acting all camp isn't doing my machismo any good you know."</p><p>She laughed, "Trust me, you don't need to worry." she said her eyes sparkling rather invitingly.  "But you might not be wrong to do that."</p><p>"I know, he hates me" Harry chuckled, "He doesn't like me being here and I don't think he's sold on the gay thing.  I'll have to hit on him, but that would make him think I was doing bad to my old school friend."</p><p>Julia laughed, "You'd do that?"</p><p>"I'm fairly secure in who I am, never did go that route to be honest, always been painfully straight, but I have no issues with people who aren't or anything, I've had a LOT of gay friends too.  I think they liked my attitude."</p><p>"Or the fact you're a stone cold fox" Julia remarked dryly.</p><p>"Why thank you Jules, I'll be smiling about that for the rest of the day!" he said with a bright smile.</p><p>"Hmm" Julia said amused.</p><p>* * * <br/><strong>The Island, Manhattan, New York</strong><br/><strong>Later</strong></p><p>Harry strode with purpose through the streets of the most famous city in the world, for a few different reasons, never-mind the fact he was likely the most personally powerful person for some distance, let alone the planet.  His form of magic tended to grow throughout life, and he'd never stopped living, so he'd grown pretty damn powerful.  But he wasn't arrogant about it, in fact he RARELY showed that power to anyone.  His Draconic form was surprisingly adept at dealing with evil doers he'd found, or a good gun helped.  Generally he only brought to bear his true power in truly horrible situations and thankfully those were few and far between.</p><p>OF course, his definition of such was probably far different from most.  You learned restraint with age, and a lot of it was having seen truly horrible things in his extended life time.</p><p>He smiled to himself, it was so GOOD to see so many humans about.  He had lost contact with good old man kind when they had ascended to a different plane, and it was after all, his birth race and he'd missed them.  They were so terrible...YOUNG here too, it was refreshing to see them at this stage again, rather contemporary to when he'd been born from his perspective, it was like stepping back in time, and he'd never REALLY done that much time travel, certainly not like this, so it was a new experience and he did LOVE those when they happened.</p><p>He was heading towards his bank, his new account was there and he had a few things he wanted to buy and wanted the novelty of having cash in his pocket after using crypto currency for so long.  He'd found out such existed here, and thanks to the wet works installed in his brain, well – he was making a tonne of money by that alone and there was an exchange too, so he was making a killing.  He'd be investigated eventually, but he'd already started to set up a server farm for that.</p><p>He stopped at the door, a highly attractive brunette with amazingly blue eyes was about to enter and he opened the door for her, smiling into her incredible cerulean eyes as he did so.  "After you" he said gallantly.</p><p>She smirked a little, looking into his eyes, but didn't say a thing, let alone thanks before entering with him right behind her.  He had decided to use the cashier and she was clutching her bag like she was putting in something probably quite a lot of something by the way she was holding it.  She was stylishly and expensively dressed and rather his speed.  He'd always been a sucker for a redhead it was true, but give him a contrasting eyed brunette and he loved them to bits.</p><p>They queued like everyone else with the brunette checking her watch a lot.  Then there was commotion at the door, and every turned and ducked as a semi automatic was fired into the roof with a spray of plaster dust.</p><p>"THIS IS A ROBBERY!" a masked man called out, there were six of them, all wearing different clown masks, over balaclava's to make doubly certain.</p><p>"No shit" Harry remarked softly, and with a lot of amusement.</p><p>He heard a slight chuckle, and winked at the stunner with the eyes, but gently guided her to the floor.  "You're going to ruin that dress," he remarked before she laid down, undoing his long dragon hide duster and laying it down for her, "Use that." he said, then went to his knee's too.  His hands behind his head but eyes alive with flowing power.</p><p>She smiled slightly at this move, thinking perhaps not all men sucked after all.</p><p>"YOU WILL REMAIN CALM AND THIS WILL BE OVER SOON.  YOU, GET A BAG AND FILL IT FROM THE REGISTERS!" the apparent leader yelled, shoving a micro Uzi in a cashiers face.</p><p>The doll he happened to be next to shoved her bag under the nearest table, then she muttered, moving her hands in complicated ways her fingers dancing.  He felt a wash of magic and looked at her in interest.  She noticed him looking and made a 'shh' motion with her lips, her eyes dancing.</p><p>He looked from her to the bag, then back and winked, and she shot him a sort of 'I'll explain later' look and shrug of elegant shoulders.</p><p>Meanwhile the robbers were moving around stealing peoples valuables, while the cashier was watched filling the bag with cash by the leader.  He was a mean bastard, who appeared to be enjoying threatening the quite young female cashier and leering at her in a way Harry knew spelled trouble.</p><p>Then he ordered her to the vault and Harry knew that was a BAD idea.  "Damn" he swore softly, this was one of those perspective situations until that happened.  As long as people played along they were even quite safe of anything but losing insured money, so he'd not been planning on doing anything.  But the way the leader was looking at that girl...that wasn't something he could ignore.</p><p>He felt a hand on his arm, the brunette knock out was looking at him with those bright eyes of hers and shook her head very firmly.  He looked back, smiling slightly shaking his in turn.</p><p>"Don't be a hero, or stupid" she said low so as not to attract attention.</p><p>"You know he's planning...something bad." he replied in the same vein.</p><p>"He'll kill you," she retorted.</p><p>"That...I very much doubt." Harry said, then suddenly he shimmered from view, the last sight she had of him was giving her a wink as he wavered away to nothingness.  She'd already been curious as to how he still saw, or even realised where her bag was after her cloaking spell, but clearly he was magical, and with no visible means of casting had disappeared with a cloaking spell of his own.  She saw no variations in the air, or disturbances from movement either, so that was a hell of a spell she rather wanted to learn for herself.</p><p>Harry crept behind the leader, he was alone with the girl and clearly he had no intention of getting into the likely time locked vault.  He had her shoved against the wall, his hands wandering making the girl have a serious case of freaking out and crawling flesh but unable to do a damn thing as he held the automatic to her neck.</p><p>Harry moved on silent feet, this was a spell of his own invention, covering most forms of detection and had never actually failed him, so he moved quickly.  Then when he was behind the robber his arm curled around, then knocked the gun up and got the firing line away from the girl, then wrapped his arm around the leaders neck and squeezed HARD.  He was kicking and struggling very soon thereafter, the girl looking VERY confused and not a little frightened at his actions.</p><p>"Run, hide" Harry said softly, his voice showing no signs of overt exertion and to her credit the girl responded to the mystery voice, running out to the rear of the building.  "And call the cops" he called after her as the leaders body went limp.  Harry choked him a little longer to make sure he wasn't faking, then let him drop.  He knew the others would come looking for him, and clearly they were rather amateurs at this.  Or the apparent leader wouldn't get distracted.</p><p>Harry slipped out from the basement area of the vault, back up the stairs without leaving a sign he had been there, then crept up behind the next guard.  He was unfortunately in full view of the others, but Harry knew he had to act.  This could and would quickly turn into a hostage situation if he didn't act quickly so he sent a good old fashioned stunner at the man, crunching the spell in his head and changing the formula enough that it wasn't red, or rather it was just infra-red.  Then as the man dropped bonelessly all hell broke loose.</p><p>Harry had tagged the other robbers positions before he'd started and a positive litany of spells spilled from him, mostly intent directed to hit only the robbers, moving AROUND things if hey had to and within mere moments he was the last man standing.  In truth it hadn't been slightly taxing to him, he' faced FAR worse odds and won out before, and magically it was a walk in the park.</p><p>The clients of the bank where VERY confused as they saw their thieves drop, then the blue eyed knockout wasn't overly surprised to see Harry reappear right where he'd left her, holding a finger to his lips a knock out smile on his face.  She lifted a brow, somehow her entire posture telling him he owed her for her silence.</p><p>Then...there were sirens coming towards them and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 02</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Disclaimer</strong>: <em>All recognisable media, TV, Comics and their characters belong to their rightful owners, which isn't Me, also I make no money from this venture it's freely shared entertainment only.  This applies to the entire story, I didn't put this up before, and I should've.</em></p><p>
  <br/>
  <strong>Rosario's Cafe, Manhattan, New York</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>A Little Later</strong>
</p><p>"So…" Harry said with a smile at his coffee date.   They'd had a moment during the blitz of action after the robbery and Marina, as she'd introduced herself, made no bones about the fact she wanted to know more.</p><p>Harry took advantage of that to get himself coffee with a beautiful woman, and here there were hours later finally getting a chance to do that.</p><p>She quashed a smile, she found him a rather bewitching man, and she'd long since given up on men and looked to women for romantic entanglement of late, but there was something 'more' about this particular man she had to admit.   "I want to know how you did that" she stated clearly.</p><p>He lifted a brow, "I think you know how I did that," he said nodding at her retrieved bag, now safety under her arm again.</p><p>"I mean, yes...but specifically, I didn't see you use any recognized hand movements, or hear an incantation."</p><p>He smiled sightly, "Is there a question in there somewhere Marina?" he asked with twinkling eyes.</p><p>"I suppose there is, I'd like to learn how to cast like that.  I'm not a slouch in magical stakes, in fact I'm the most powerful on this coast." she paused, "Or I was…." she said looking at him leadingly.</p><p>"It's not about power you know," Harry said, "It's about HOW you cast, and how you think about…" he glanced around, leaning in, causing her to do the same.  She got a sense of incredible masculinity from him, but oddly not a whiff of magic, "Magic." he said his tone low and intimate.  She'd have to admit if only to herself that it and he sent a thrill throughout her feminine core.  "Not everything is about how much you have of something you know." he added chidingly with a teasing smile.</p><p>"Sometimes Size DOES matter" she said, positively flirtatiously for her.  Then seemed to realise they were nearly kissing distance and backed away, a light flush complimenting her looks.</p><p>Harry smiled, sitting back himself.  "True enough," he smirked, "I am middling in terms of power though." he told her, this was of course, a flat out lie.  "But the WAY I cast, well now that's almost unique, not now so much.  I'm teaching someone that was in need of a magical education."</p><p>"Ahh...they wouldn't happened to have been rejected by a place called Brakebills by chance?" Marina said knowingly.</p><p>"Now that's not my story to tell, but you sound like you know this story, you tell me what normally happens then?"</p><p>"Hedge Witchery" she said looking into her eyes, "Of which I'm the most powerful here, only one in the entire country matches me actually, but doesn't beat me.  Actually if it came to a fight I'm fairly sure I'd win."</p><p>"Another time power isn't the be all and end all, actually." Harry noted, "Though it for sure helps."</p><p>She smiled, "Yes...doesn't it just."</p><p>"So happen to say I know someone that might benefit from an introduction to this...hedge witchery, what would you say to that?"</p><p>She smiled slightly, "It seems to me she's already learning a very good casting methodology."</p><p>"Yes, perhaps she is, but spells...local spells would help her education.  She's an odd one," he said slowly, thinking it through, "The more knowledge she gets it's like she gains power from that."</p><p>"That IS a school of magic," Marina told him, "Obviously called Knowledge, those in that school benefit from gaining knowledge in some not so obvious ways.  It's one of THE most powerful schools of magic, and extremely uncommon, not rare, but uncommon." she told him.  "I myself could call myself either that or physical." she told him.  "When I was at Brakebills they had some trouble categorizing me actually."</p><p>"Yes, you seem...special" he smiled, taking any insult out of his words.  "Potential, well, that's nearly limitless."</p><p>"So...how about a trade then?" Marina asked.  "I'll teach your student, you teach me?"</p><p>"Hmmm" Harry said, "I'd first need to talk to her, but I think this is important and further think I can convince her of that." Harry said, "But one addendum here.  You teach me too.  I'm interested, so sue me." he said with a charming smile at the end.</p><p>"I'd agree to that, but we'd need a contract, magical before I teach either of you a damn thing."</p><p>"Only if there is a clause as to me stopping if I find out your intentions with this are evil, and I do mean EVIL.  Bad, fine, but flat out evil I'd cut myself in half to stop.  So might as well make it a clause...unless you actually ARE evil."</p><p>"Some might call me that, and I don't' suffer fools, and have been known to get my own way by any means necessary."</p><p>"That's not evil" Harry said sounding sure, "That's just driven, that's just a little amoral.  Hell, I think by this point most would call me at LEAST that."</p><p>"So...we have an agreement?"</p><p>"Provisional to her saying yes, indeed we do.  Let's exchange contact details shall we?"</p><p>"Cell?"</p><p>"That'll do, luckily I got one the other day, prepaid, but beggars and all that." He smiled pulling a rather good burner from his jacket pocket."</p><p>"By the way, I noticed something from your coat, when you rather gallantly let me kneel on it earlier." she said, "That is NOT leather."</p><p>"No...no I suppose it's not" he smiled, then handed his phone over with his details showing.</p><p>"Hmmm" she said her eyes playful, then programmed him in, then I the same for her number to his, "Gave myself a special ring tone, so you know to answer, rather than your many female admirers." she said.</p><p>"My what?" he said lifting a brow.  "You might not have noticed, but there's like three contacts on that phone."</p><p>"You did say it was new."</p><p>"That's about as many people as I know...new to town you could say."</p><p>Marina smiled, "Got in early then," she congratulated herself.</p><p>Harry looked at her quizzically, making her laugh.</p><p>* * *<br/><strong>Wicker Residence, New York</strong><br/><strong>That Evening</strong></p><p>"Hey" Harry said as he knocked on the door and it was opened by Julia herself.</p><p>"Hey Harry you were gone a while." Julia said with a big smile for him.</p><p>"I found something potentially good for us," he said then looked around.</p><p>"He's gone," Julia said with a smirk.</p><p>"Good, but only because you aren't telling him about magic." Harry said with a smile, "I don't tend to find other people threatening." he remarked.</p><p>"No, I don't suppose you do, huh" she chuckled, since she knew more of his story than anyone was likely to find out.  He found her very easy to talk to, and had shared a few details he didn't think would shock too much and generally he didn't tend to hide his well aged status anyway.  "So...what did you find and how exactly, I'm like the only person you talk to in the entire …. planet." she remarked with humour.</p><p>"Were...potentially anyway.  This is really up to you, but by confluence of events including a robbery at my bank I found another magical, and no...they don't go to Brakebills, in fact not everyone that does magic does apparently.  They are called Hedges, as in Hedge Witchery.  They learn from what sounds like dodgy sources, rather like you learned your first spell actually, scrapping the net, and old book stores and oral tradition.  I thought it would be useful to you to learn your own native magic, at least the spells themselves which you could cast the way I'm teaching you.  I've noticed that the more you learn the more powerful you're getting."</p><p>"I mean, my ability it bound to grow right?"</p><p>"Not just ability, which of course makes sense, but actual power, as in the well you have.  I sense it growing in you after each time I teach you something new. Now clearly Brakebills, perhaps the best source, is out there in we need to find you other sources of knowledge which in turn, I believe, will increase your potential further."</p><p>"Harry….do you think I should do this?"</p><p>"Indeed I do."</p><p>"That's all you needed to say."</p><p>Harry smiled at her gratefully.</p><p>* * *<br/><strong>Deli Safe House, Queens</strong><br/><strong>Three Days Later, Afternoon</strong></p><p>Julia was holding Harry's arm like a life line.</p><p>He chuckled, "Relax, I'm not going to let anything bad happen, and anyway you'll be under Marina's protection – trust me.  She has something she wants to gain here, and she already knows to treat you right, or she doesn't get it," Harry told her.</p><p>"She's being paid?" Julia asked, this was news to her.</p><p>"In a way, but nothing I consider a great cost or anything.  She's a rather in it for me type of personality, and there's something in it for her, so she's going to keep you safe.  Besides this is a good thing here.  These are people who were denied magic, they just want to learn what is theirs by birthright, just like you.  You have plenty in common with them, they will see you as one of theirs and I shouldn't wonder that with a personality as wonderful and engaging as yours that you won't be a hit inside of a day...at most." he told her.</p><p>She held his arm tighter, but not out of concern any more.  She adored this man, and this seemed to be pretty mutual it had to be said.</p><p>"Now, you won't miss Marina, just look for the bluest eyes you ever did see and that's her." Harry said, "I strongly suspect she can be a total bitch normally, but like I said you won't get that, or you had better not.  There's limits to how I teach her, if she plays ball she'll get the full thing, if she's a total bitch about this all then she'll get the very least I can do for her by our terms" Harry said, "So let me know if she is a bitch and I'm not around for some reason.  At some point I need to crack these wards of Brakebills and check that place out.  It's magical and anything magical interests me after all." Harry noted.</p><p>"I understand that, believe you me, I understand that.  That's the main reason I'm here, to learn more magic, any magic is good to learn."</p><p>"Learn yes, I agree.  But use...not necessarily.  But learning something doesn't mean you HAVE to use it after all, and in a theoretical sense some truly awful spells are quite interesting.  There used to be a curse, spell, from my native people it was instant death, literally it ripped the soul out of a body and that was it.  Well, all but once, but I digress.  But the INTERESTING thing about it wasn't that it could kill, hell basically the most benign thing can kill if used to do so, take levitation and think a moment….yeah I see the realisation in those amazing eyes of yours.  So ignoring the death and destruction that mankind likes to perpetuate against each other the INTERESTING thing was that it went through ANY magical shield.  Not a solid object, so it could be defended against if you thought outside the box, but a magically made one...like a knife through butter.  Really the only spell that will do that, the other two big three nasty spells of that time wouldn't do that, though they would take one DOWN, they didn't just...ignore the shield." Harry said, "So...murder spell in a theoretical way, pretty damn interesting."</p><p>"I get that, and I don't really want to go around murdering people anyway."</p><p>"I know, you're a good person Jules.  It would take something truly heinous to make you kill, but do PLEASE remember if someone is trying to kill you, then it's open season on them.  It's not even considered murder by law, it's plain old self defence." Harry said, "Promise me if some bastard tries to kill you, you'll return the favour."</p><p>"Okay Harry, I'll try."</p><p>"You have Star Wars here?" he asked.</p><p>"Of Course" she said with a chuckle, "Ahh, yeah I get it Yoda...right?"</p><p>"Especially important with magic and the intent. Now we're nearly here." he said walking her through the Deli and up the short stair case beyond.  "And there she is." he smiled.</p><p>"Oh yeah...I see them now, I get that.  As long as you still like mine." she noted with amusement.</p><p>"How could I not, not only are the unusual in their hue, the person beyond is just...win all the way." he said getting his biscept squeezed again.</p><p>Marina noticed their arrival, a good looking guy nudging her for her to do so, "Thank you James...welcome Harry and student" she said walking up to them on designer heels and likewise dressed in stylish and expensive labels.  She held her hand out to Harry who turned it kissing her knuckles, drawing a small smile from the blue eyed woman, then turned those eyes on Julia.  Julia for her part stuck out her hand, "I'm Julia, or just Jules if you like."</p><p>Marina smiled, surveying her a long moment, looking into her eyes like she could read her soul.  And who's to say she couldn't, Harry said basically anything was possible with magic, especially the mental arts.  He'd also told her they did a piss poor job of wiping her memory, had they used his method she just would've wondered why she had a scratched arm, not triggered some memories.</p><p>He had also added he could help protect her from that though, so she was learning that as quickly as possible.</p><p>"I'm told you have a lot to teach me" Julia said, looking back calmly.  She knew this was a test and for Harry and herself she wanted to pass it.</p><p>"I'm surprised that he knows to say that, we didn't talk for long."</p><p>"It's your...well we'd call it a core, it's not quite the same as mine but yours is highly disciplined, controlled and practised." Harry said, "You only get that with serious practice and dedicated hard work, you also mentioned you might be the same school as Julia and you're good and powerful, ergo…" he trailed off smiling into her fabulous eyes.</p><p>Marina pursed her lips, "Your sense for magic is very refined for someone that calls himself middling in power."</p><p>Julia felt she controlled her reaction to hearing THAT.  But then most of the time Harry exuded no magic, you could feel it when he was actively casting, but otherwise he was nearly a void in the magic around him.  Which, thanks to him she could sense, and even draw into herself after a cast.  This gave her an almost unlimited stamina he'd told her, but that would get better when he taught her to cast directly with universal magic, in time to come.  Her conduit for expressing that power would come in time he'd told her, but using it, much sooner.</p><p>"It's not so bad," Harry demurred, "And sensing magic isn't quite the same as having it yourself, back home I've met a few magically sensitive people who couldn't cast for the life of them." he told her, "so it's not all that surprising really and I'm practised at doing it I think."</p><p>"You don't look any older than Julia here," Marina noted.</p><p>"Nor do you, you look fabulous." Harry replied, a sexy smile on his face.  This is when Julia realised he'd never really flirted that HARD with her.  This was disappointing, but she also realised she DID have a boyfriend and perhaps he just respected that.  She had no doubt Harry found her attractive, a woman knows when they are being admired, and he did so often, not creepily it had to be said, but then an admiring look from that god of a man wasn't anything but complimentary.</p><p>"Flatterer, but compliments won't get you anywhere." Marina told him, not looking all that serious.</p><p>Harry smiled charmingly at her.</p><p>"That on the other hand," Julia said jocularly.</p><p>Marina laughed, which turned her from stern resolve to flat out beautiful.  "Oh, I think I'm going to like you Jules, now...let's see what we're working with, do you know any spells."</p><p>"Only what she learned form the Internet for this style of casting." Harry said, "So you have much to teach."</p><p>"Yes, we pick up spells there too, but I've been steadily building a library of our own, we're perhaps the best educated safe house here about because of that, normally when someone finds a spell they keep it mostly to themselves.  As selfish as I can be I decided it was best to share that around.  Now don't get me wrong, I know some that I won't teach, but all the same, most are in those cabinets over there.  I ask that you only go in there with permission.  At this stage you need to be careful about over stretching, do you know what happens if you do that?"</p><p>Julia shook her head, "No, Harry mentioned magical exhaustion."</p><p>"Must be a his people thing, he mentioned he wasn't local.  No there is such a thing as over reaching and becoming a Niffen.  This is NOT something you want to happen, they lose their shade."</p><p>Harry looked at her with interest so she continued.</p><p>"It's odd in a way, they become extremely powerful, on the other hand they lose everything it means to be human with their shade, compassion love, caring even they are one of the worst creatures known, now most get trapped soon after, but still not good.  So I'll know if you're capable of casting something and teach you, and if you go to fast I'll yank you back."</p><p>"Interesting, we don't have that." Harry said, "So are you saying if I, in theory, cast a spell too complicated and powerful I'd turn into what was it? Niffen?"</p><p>"That's possible, but you did mention your core is different, we have a well of available power, we reach beyond that and its bad." Marina told him, "Perhaps it's not like that for you, have you ever over reached?"</p><p>"Urh...not so much" Harry said, "I suppose I'm just a cautious man," he lied again, in truth he'd never attempted a spell too powerful for him, especially after a certain stage as there was no such animal.  But while he liked and for sure found her attractive, he didn't trust Marina at ALL yet.</p><p>"You were perhaps lucky, or as you said are just naturally cautious" Marina mused.  "But for us...this is surely what would happen, and I already like you too much to let that happen Jules."</p><p>Julia smiled, "I'll be careful, Harry has always told me that while being magical is a birthright, you have to be responsible with it lest you abuse the gift we were given.  And apparently it can be taken away."</p><p>"Yes, they do that, or try to, Brakebills, at least the memory, not that it always works as you know.  But I tend to agree with Harry on that though."</p><p>"Good, it means both my teachers are worthy of their craft then," Julia smiled.</p><p>"Talking of teachers?" Marina said, looking at Harry.</p><p>"Get her started with something, then I'll walk you through the first steps, just be aware since you already cast a certain way this will take more time than Julia has taken, plus you know she is rather a genius."</p><p>Julia slapped his arm ineffectually, "Harry!"</p><p>"What! You for sure are, just the BEST student ever!" he smiled down at her.</p><p>"I'll think you'll find me a diligent student, but I do understand the warning, but I'll know if you're trying to stiff me too."</p><p>"Well, yes you would, but I'm betting we can get you casting light today my way at the least, that's my goal."</p><p>Marina smiled, "That alone is useful." she noted, "You don't always have a torch to hand, you know?" she chuckled.</p><p>Julia laughed.</p><p>* * *<br/><strong>Brakebills University, Up State New York.</strong><br/><strong>Midday – Two Days Later</strong></p><p>Having now met the Hedges and Marina Harry found himself very curious about Brakebills, and upon inspection found their idea of warding rather lacking and had 'invited' himself to survey a class.  He was there now listening to a German professor waxing lyrical about his subject.  Normally he liked to listen to people passionate about their subject but this guy's voice was BORING.</p><p>They were all college age here, and outside of two people not very impressive in the power stakes.  There was also a rather impressive psychic in the class, so Harry was keeping a close watch on his mental barriers and the projection he was sending out that he you know...belonged there, just in case.  The two powerful people were both women, and both seriously impressive, not to Jules' standards already, but still plenty impressive.  A slightly nerdy blonde with an impressive bust line and a really gorgeous if grunge girl who looked terminally bored, but he could sense was a cover for a lively and intelligent mind.</p><p>Her mental shielding was almost impressive compared to the way they viewed mental arts here.  Frankly the Wizarding world was light years ahead of even the natural psychic in terms of ability, and Harry had been practising that for millennia to put it VERY mildly.  So he could get past that easily and out of a sense of curiosity and a little devil may care, he did.  He found a commonality almost immediately, an active dislike for someone they shared in common actually, in fact he'd go as far to say she truly HATED Marina.  But then from what he was seeing of her past, he wasn't that surprised, but she didn't seem to realise she'd gotten off pretty lightly all told.  He knew how mercenary Marina was, and she had essentially someone beholden to her that could be used in many ways more than she'd actually been put to work, and being put to 'work' was just one way.</p><p>If he'd had to guess he would say Marina had rather a soft spot for grunge girl actually, but given what he was seeing no one would be more surprised than her to hear it.  He could find the fact the girl was virtually Marina's slave reprehensible, and did, but he didn't lay the blame at her shapely feet, and not just because he fancied her, no he already reviled this grunge girls mother for essentially doing that.</p><p>Also not...Kady, interesting name, favourite of people.</p><p>Then something washed over him.  After a VERY long life fighting the forces of evil in whatever form Harry was attuned to trouble of just about any type.  He had an eerie sense for it actually, sometimes predicting it before it even started.  This had bourne fruit in the life he'd always led, and saved his life, well in theory, countless times.  And that horrible sense of evil doing on the way washed over him.  Then he looked around, noticing that everyone was frozen, some more aware looking than others, and then heard the clock back ticking on itself.  His senses weren't to be sniffed at.  Little known fact about human evolution, it happened all the damn time, including to living people.  You saw it in normal humans as they gained immunity from bugs and the alike, but Harry had a VERY long time to evolve and was basically at the topper most evolution for a human being.  His senses were incredible, his strength was amazing and he could move so fast he looked like he was a blur and no more.  Of course compared to some races Human's were weak as all hell, but for a human he was amazing.  So he DID hear the clock, and had learned not to take TOO much notice.</p><p>It had driven him mad until he'd realised what was happening, oddly clock work never REALLY went out of fashion despite the fact there was better digitally, and he was a bit old fashioned himself and there was usually some form of ticking clock in his households.  And he had come across this sort of field before, it likely covered most of the campus, but wouldn't be strong enough to do a damn thing beyond that, but it was a worrying sign of exceptional power.  He froze as the mirror at the back of the room 'wobbled'.  A moth flew out, fluttering around the room like a fore guard and then an Oxford coated foot stepped out, followed by a dark suited man who of all the odd things had his features covered by a swarm of moths.  Not the strangest thing Harry had seen, and by FAR not the  worst so he didn't think much of it.  It was a good way of hiding the evil mages identity he had to admit.  He was the culprit though, he sensed the same magic in the man as he did in the room, as noted he was quite sensitive to such by now.</p><p>He was also the only one not effected in the least by the spell.  Others were more aware than the rest, and a couple moved their eyes he saw to his sharp eyed regard.  The nerdy girl, grunge goddess, psychic and a floppy haired guy with brown hair were all more aware and somewhat in control, the rest of the class was frozen solid and potentially not even aware currently.</p><p>As soon as the mage was in the room he squared off with the front of the room and started to cast.  Harry felt the intent of the magic, but was far too late to save the professor for shame.  He was still getting used to the way they did magic here and he would SWEAR that mage had extra fingers that seemed to empower him somehow.  He didn't make his move, and then a distinguished looking African American blew through the door quite literally and exchanged spell fire with the moth mage.</p><p>"Oh That's It!" Harry said as the moth mage took the other guys hands.  They fell to the floor with a solid thunk but Harry was already moving.  He swept his hands to the side, the desks and students were rearranged to the sides of the room and this left a clear line of sight to Moth Mage, and nothing to get hurt between them.</p><p>"Who the hell are you!" Moth guy asked.</p><p>"No one important" Harry said, lifting his hands in claws.  He didn't' need to gesture to cast, but it helped psychologically speaking.  He flicked his hands towards the other mage who hastily erected a shield that sparked with a psychedelic display of flaring colours as Harry's magic clashed with it and made the other mage stumble back a step.</p><p>"Impressive, but not impressive enough" Moth Mage told him sounding arrogant.  He returned fire with a lot of rather flashing movements of his hand.  Harry lifted a brow, looking rather amused as a spell was FINALLY cast and sent rocketing at Harry.  Harry swerved out of the way having seen the spell coming a MILE away.  It was pretty powerful this method of casting, but it was for shit in combat.</p><p>"What?!" Moth Mage exclaimed.</p><p>Harry shook is head, then to prove a point he twitched his fingers.  A shield was Moth Mages response, but Harry wasn't doing what he thought he was, a table slammed into Moth Mage from behind him and bowled him over.  Harry then looked around, seeing all that collateral damage waiting to happen, and knew where this was going.  So with a sweeping motion of his hand he knocked Moth Mage and his flying face, flying into the mirror, then a nearly negligent twitch of his forefingers and the mirror exploded into mirrored dust.  "Arse" he noted, then heard a groan from where he'd stepped in front of the only man to be able to stand up to Moth Mage.</p><p>He ducked down, "Sir, sir...do you hear me?  Are you lucid?"</p><p>"Yes, yes, I hear you young man." he said.</p><p>"Good, good, we need to reattach those hands, quick as" Harry told him, "This is going to HURT like hell, okay, I'm only capable of battle field medicine, and it's quick, effective and hurts"</p><p>"If you can help, please...by all means." he said offering a slight smile.</p><p>"Your pain tolerance is impressive" Harry said looking around, grabbing the guys hands, cut from the wrist down.  Then grabbed one of the man's arms, lined up the hand properly, and then cast.  The distinguished man threw his head back and screamed, but it was done in moments.</p><p>"I think...you under...stated that." he said breathlessly.</p><p>"Only halfway there I'm afraid, but flex those fingers for me, make sure I got it right!" Harry said to him, chuckling slightly, "I'm impressed by your fortitude if nothing else though sir." he smiled.</p><p>The Dean, as it happened, flexed his fingers with a note of wonder, "You must speak to Professor Lipson, this is...wonderful.  Please...continue and know I owe you for this.  Taking my hands was inspired if cruel, I can't cast without them.  You're not just saving my penmanship here, but my very ability to do magic."</p><p>Harry lifted a brow but didn't comment, it was different here even if he thought that wasn't true, Jules could do without if it became necessary and he was sure of that.  Of course he would've done far worse to anyone hurting HER.</p><p>He quickly affixed the man's other hand, this time he'd been ready for it and made much less of a fuss.  "Thank you" he said breathlessly, "My name is Henry, students that do that for me get to use my name."</p><p>Harry chuckled, "Thanks Henry, I'm Harry...and truthfully I'm not a student here."</p><p>"That much I surmised for myself in truth none of our students could've beaten back the Beast the way you just did." Henry said seriously, "We'll talk about how you got passed the wards later, would you consent to later…"</p><p>Harry smiled, "Sure...I mean no one here harm, and it seems that maybe, just maybe,  you could do with my sort of help around here but I have other commitments I will be attending to."</p><p>"You're willing to help?" Henry asked, then smiled, "Truly you are my personal hero Harry."</p><p>Harry chuckled and helped him to stand.  "Take it steady, you lost a fair bit of blood and I don't have any potions on me right now." He noted.</p><p>"Professor Lipson can help with that," henry said, "Believe me, I'm VERY grateful for all you've done." Then he looked around, noticing the commotion around them, "Listen up!" he called brining an odd and surreal sense of calm to the room, the man was obviously an accomplished teacher with a presence like that.  "Professors will be here shortly," he said casting a spell which flew away, it reminded Harry of the old Patronus Messenger spells actually.  "So remain seated, no one is hurt...now, and everything is under control." he said coolly and calmly.</p><p>Harry smiled at him, "What?" Henry asked.</p><p>"You remind me of a man I knew a LONG time ago, only a teacher of serious experience can remain that calm in the face of something like this." he chuckled.</p><p>"Well...yes" Henry smiled.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 03</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Disclaimer</b>
  <span>: </span>
  <span>All recognisable media, TV, Comics and their characters belong to their rightful owners, which isn't Me, also I make no money from this venture it's freely shared entertainment only. This applies to the entire story, I didn't put this up before, and I should've.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Cafe, Brakebills University, New York State</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Evening, The Next Day</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's you..." a female voice said, disturbing Harry from one of the best cups of coffee he'd had in a long time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked up to see Grunge Goddess and Psychic man standing and looking down at him. "Me what?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Me what he says" the guy said sarcastically, "You saved our asses man!" he added, actually smiling slightly, given his normal dour repose that was something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"IF it wasn't for the cheap shot your dean had that handled. Oh...that was a little off colour" Harry remarked at the end.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man, Penny laughed, "Yeah...too soon, Maybe."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"he got them back." Harry smiled, "Sit down, take a load off." he waved at the spare seats. They both did, the same side and looked at him. "What...do I have foam on my face."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, it's just you LOOK our age, I know a little offensive magic I'm willing to say, but you owned that evil douche" the girl, Kady, said admiringly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm a little older than I look" Harry said, "Not really a student at that point either, but that's sorta changed now." Harry noted. "The Dean basically gave me carte Blanche to come and go auditing classes as I can, especially when I told him why I was interested." He smiled. "So I hear that you are the most powerful psychic he's ever interviewed and you my dear have a seriously interesting core, sorry you don't call it that here, but it's disciplined as all hell. I've only ever seen that in one other." he said with a slight grin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I had...focused childhood." Kady told him, "And who was it, but they probably did the same meditation and shit I had to do if that's the case."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think that likely, since they taught you that." Harry said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Marina" she said flatly, "You know Marina...how, here?" she asked, lifting a brow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"WE met under unusual circumstances actually. In fact we were victims of a bank heist."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Couldn't happen to a nicer person." Kady remarked dryly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Now, now, we just met."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, not you. I think I'm gonna like you, but me and Marina have...issues." she said glancing at her boyfriend, and it was obviously at least going that way by the way she looked at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I like her well enough, and she's helping me with something, even if I had to pay for it." Harry said seriously. "So you should know that if we're to be friends too."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think you have weird taste in friends, but I can deal" Kady smiled, and it was a rather miraculous thing when she did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled back, "And you Penny, seriously I feel the power of your mind, that's...impressive actually."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah...try living with it. It's not so bad here, blinds up ya know, and you...I don't even know you're there psychically speaking, how are you doing that anyway?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh I learned to protect and then just plain hide my mind a LONG time ago. Especially since I was ALWAYS being attacked that way in my innocent younger years. Eventually you're almost forced to get good at something in that sort of situation, in fact back then I was weaker to most to that sort of attack. Now, as you said, most telepaths can't even FIND my mind, let alone get into it. I do get why you don't like being as you are, that much power must be a bind, I bet you can at least FEEL the minds all of them for the entire campus."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kady looked at her boyfriend, who looked at her, then just nodded the once. She threaded her arm into his, and sort of sideways hugged him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled, "I'm sure a positive emotion like that is a nice change. People, it's been my experience, can be real bitches in the privacy of their own minds."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Penny chuckled, nodding his total agreement, "Oh yeah, and there's one guy...he's so freaking loud and likes Tailor Swift Music which I HATE!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry laughed, "Oh wow, that sucks."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah it does," Penny said actually liking this guy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, you have to admit she's gorgeous" Harry chuckled, "That might be why."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Maybe, but her music, I liked her better doing country and I HATE country." Penny said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry chuckled, "What about you Kady, you like her?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"God no, electro pop ain't my thing."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I can't really comment, I seem to like EDM mostly" Harry said with a grin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"At least I can't hear you singing it to yourself." Penny remarked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry laughed. "So...what made you stop by?" he asked, "Not that I don't like the company, because believe me I do?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh we wanted to say thanks, really" Kady said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's nice of you, thank you for that." Harry smiled at her, "I don't get thanked often" he remarked wistfully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Meaning you've done something like this before" Penny pointed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled, "It's been said I have a saviour complex." he told the other man, "Personally I think I was cursed at birth, but it's not that bad really, at least life is interesting you have to admit."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah being attacked in our own class, a little TOO interesting for my liking." Kady remarked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ahh, seen and done worse" Harry remarked back with a glimmer of amusement, "That said, it's fortunate I was there really, I wouldn't have been, but I learned about this style of magic from...you guessed it, Marina, and was curious to find out more and even she admits this classical education offered here is superior."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Actually she helped me get here" Kady admitted, "But it cost me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I get that, it's the way she works, like I said the help I'm getting didn't come free either, but I can respect that view all the same." Harry said, "I've done similar at times if only to make sure the person I was making pay realised the worth of what I was teaching, or 'selling' to them."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Maybe, but I could do without it" Kady noted a little morosely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well,, I'm certainly not promising anything, but I might be able to help." Harry said, "I have more Marina wants from me after all." he grinned. Then smirked, "Not that I was originally going to ask for...that."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"HA!" Penny burst into laughter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kady rolled her eyes, "Yeah...okay so she might be a bitch but she IS a beautiful one." she grudgingly admitted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry chuckled, "I always did like a bit of a bitch to my woman, which is odd, my first two girlfriends were sweethearts." he said looking wistful, then shook himself, "Of course afterwards….ohh boy, that next one was so totally not the same."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I do get ya though man" Penny said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kady lifted a dangerous brow, "What you saying here?" she asked dangerously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh no, no I...funny" Penny back peddled at first then she laughed and he realised she was just messing with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's okay, I am a Bitch and proud baby!" Kady said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled at the pair, "You two are a nice couple," he said, "You...click."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thanks, but…" Kady paused, noticing Penny wasn't saying anything opposingly to Harry. "We're a couple?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Getting there" Penny smiled at her, turning her to goo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could've lit a stadium with her smile.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>* * *</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Deli Safe House, Queen's, New York</b>
</p><p>
  <b>The Next Evening</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry and Marina watched Julia working with a couple of others on her spells, as predicted she was rather the darling of the safe house and particularly popular with James, and Marina. She was also quickly becoming the most powerful besides Marina and Harry in the entire place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So…" Harry said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you start all your conversations like that, I remember that's what you said to get us talking when we met."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Most of our first conversation was non-verbal" Harry chuckled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"True" Marina smiled, "SO…." she parroted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I met Kady today, and I'll freely admit I know her situation and I want to change it. I like the girl, and she's got a promising future and a really great relationship there. Her situation isn't conducive to that lasting. So...what's it going to cost me to change it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're aware of her situation?" Marina asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I was already projecting a telepathic image to the room, having a peak behind her mental wards was fairly easy, don't worry she has no idea I know and would most certainly not tell me. I think it's a source of very great shame for her. Given that once I saw that I dug in, and saw what you have doing for you, I do believe you might even LIKE the girl and perhaps not want her to resent the hell out of you like she does now. In fact my dear she quite hates you for it, but not as much as she does her horrid mother for doing it in the first place. If it comes to it, name a price and I'll buy her myself and then free her from obligation. I know you'll want to gain something for this, so name your price."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marina pursed her lips, "You got passed her mental warding?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Quite easily, frankly your idea of mental arts and mine differ, especially in magnitude." Harry said, "I don't usually go poking around, but colour me curious to her attitude." he spread his hands, "Besides I was in contact with all the minds in the room, being careful because of her boyfriend mind, hell of a telepath that one, and I think you'd like him. I think he's possibly a giant dick to most people but I found him quite charming, but then I did save their lives potentially."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marina lifted a brow, knowing he'd dangled that out there to amuse himself by making her ask so didn't rise to the bait….yet. "I don't want money" she said finally.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Didn't think you would, with magic you can get what you need, I saw Jules trying out the ATM spell." he smirked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marina quashed a smirk of her own, "And looking at you, you don't NEED money anyway. I'm not so great on clothing but damned if you don't always look incredible, not cheap I'd guess."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smiled a little, he was endlessly complimentary and not in the 'I want in your knickers' way either, but truly meant. If he was doing it for that reason he wouldn't be so complimentary to Jules, who had a boyfriend, a relationship he seemed to respect, oddly enough. "There IS something I want, and I think maybe you can get it much cleaner than I can."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Name it"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the next hour, she told him all.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>* * *</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Deans Office, Brakebills</b>
</p><p>
  <b>The Next Morning</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Dean Fogg, have you got a moment?" Harry said, poking his head around the door after gaining a 'come' from his knock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Definitely" Henry said smiling at him and waving him in, "What can I do for you...name it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's not as simple or as nice as you might want it to be," Harry warned, "I do want something and I'm not sure you're going to help me out. I think in any normal circumstance you most certainly wouldn't actually."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well you can only ask, I have the option to say no."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know, but if you do I'm stealing it, this is...important to me, a personal crusade almost" Harry said. "You see one of your students is in a situation she can personally do nothing about, and I don't like it, or that she's in it. It's a form of slavery really and I can't abide that." Harry said, "I know how to fix that, but you won't like it. I know if you expel students you take their knowledge, which honestly I don't much like the sound of, to free this student, who I will not name they don't even know I'm doing this. To free them I need a specific box, and worse I can't tell you which one, without revealing more than I want to."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fogg looked at him a long moment, then fished in his pocket, "This is the key to the room you want, you may have it and five minutes uninterrupted time if you do something for me, above and beyond what you have already done."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Name it" Harry told him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This is difficult to explain and worse to talk about, but you might not realise this but we're almost stuck in a loop of time. The Beast is such a terrible foe that it has beaten anything sent against him 39 times now, a person I will also not name has the power to turn back time a certain distance, and has now done so 39 times."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry sat back in his chair, "They are aware they may be creating distinct time lines doing that, depending on HOW they are doing it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Indeed, this is the case."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's not good, and I take it you remember them?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How'd you know"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The haunted look in your eyes Henry, you've seen a lot of badness, and a lot of times." Harry said, "I know that look."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know you do, I'm looking into it" Henry said. "I want help to make sure this is the LAST time that happens."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'll kill the bastard myself" Harry promised, "But honestly, I'd do that anyway"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know, but there is more. I think I know who wants their box, excuse the term"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry chuckled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You are then likely in contact with someone that has been wronged in my opinion."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Julia, I KNEW there was more to it"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Henry smiled, "You are already helping her aren't you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I am, and that box, that will help her help."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Right, well you're already doing the extra I asked for and admitted you'd help with The Beast. These are really two of the three things I want."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okay, so the third."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You...here," Henry said, "You have unlimited potential for magic, I sense that, I want to help with that. I know…" he said holding up a hand, "You are beyond much here, I know you're far older than you portray but there is advancements here that I think you'll like and find useful and I'd be particularly interested in getting you working with both Jane Lipson and Pearl Sunderland, they are both experts, both related to healing."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm more the sort of person that causes wounds Henry." Harry said with a slight smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I am aware, but I'm also aware you wish that wasn't the case."</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled, "You do seem to get how I think I'll admit. I won't lie I'm interested in ANY form of magic and you know...it would be nice to learn how to heal rather than hurt for a change."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So...you'll do it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I will, but again...probably would've said yes anyway."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, your five minutes start...now" he said handing over the keys.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>* * *</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Deli Safe House,</b>
</p><p>
  <b>That Evening</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry groaned at the back of his throat looking directly into Marina's eyes as he watched the memories settle and the sheer awe and shock that appeared making those luminous orbs even more fabulous than normal, "Oh Lordy" he said with feeling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Julia nudged him, a chuckle escaping her throat, "Though I'll admit she does look good all kittenish."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled down at her, "Hey blue eyes, you done being amazed at your own noggin."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No...you will not spoil this for me Harry. I thought I knew things, I thought I had knowledge! I was wrong!" she said, "But...a deal is a deal, I'll get you the contract."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She walked off and Julia looked at him sternly, "What contract?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nothing to do with you or our situation here, that's separate. I suppose in a way I'm just trying to help someone I like out." he said, "I won't say what, they don't even know I'm doing this, and I won't be telling them anything. That'll be up to Marina, I made that a stipulation of our deal, though oddly that is for HER benefit not mine."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're a strange man Harry, but I do love your view." Julia said hooking her hand into the crook of his arm and hugging him to her side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled, "Anyone would I think. Marina may be mercenary you know, but she is NOT evil or anything. She might not be lilly white, but I got over seeing the world as purely black and white a VERY long time ago, hell I wasn't out of school before I realised that one."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh I get it, the world is shades of grey at best."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nah" Harry said, "It's hard to realise with news networks fighting for viewers. It's a sad state of the human psyche right now that they WANT to see horrible things on the news and will tune into who shows the most. In a more personal way it's like HAVING to look at a car crash if you pass one. Eventually we grow though, but right now Bad is just LOUDER because of that, it sells better you see. But out there is SO much good being done, but it's just not so news worthy. They've tried you know, showing at least one good thing, but it is tuned out."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That sucks, but so do people"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Again...they don't so much, but this day and age humanity is VERY jaded." Harry said, "Once you get out there, see the wonder...that changes" Harry said nodding upwards, "I sank...god...so much money into early space exploration but it SO paid off. Unfortunately monetarily too, but the real pay off for me was the extreme sense of adventure humanity regained."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Julia was smiling at him softly, "That's not stopping you making money hand over fist though" she had to point out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Right now it is much better NOT to be poor, and later when I've accrued a decent sum I'll try to drive technology like I did before, only faster, get us out there a bit earlier if I can, that sort of thing and obviously I have my student to look after." he smiled down at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I could get used to that," Julia smiled up at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled, "Do so, like I said your true education will take years and years. If fact if you're willing I want to teach you it ALL, everything I found out, experimented on and learned from all across the cosmos. You're...Jules, there is no word for how impressive I find you, and having you as a student may very well be the single most rewarding thing I've done in my ENTIRE life."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Julia actually welled up, since she had a better idea than most on just how LONG that was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh hey...I didn't mean to upset you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No...you didn't good tears Harry, good tears." Julia said, going up to tip toe and kissing his cheek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh...well that's alright then." Harry chuckled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marina strode back catching Julia sinking to the flat of her feet, pretty obviously having kissed Harry since he had a pale lipstick mark on his cheek, she made no comment outside of a raised brow and handed over a rather old looking parchment contract.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry read it through, then held his hand, flicking his thumb and set alight to the thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marina sighed, shaking her head, "What do you get out of this Harry?" she asked, as it burned to a cinder, magic washing out of it, releasing Kady. She would certainly notice that!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nothing" Harry said, "Nothing tangible at least."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You are SUCH a strange man."</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>* * *</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Cafe, Brakebills, New York State</b>
</p><p>
  <b>The Next Evening</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kady slipped into the chair opposite Harry and just lifted a brow while looking at him. Harry smiled at her, he was alternating his time between here, and Julia and the Deli Safe House, but spending most of his days at Brakebills since Marina had Julia well in hand, while he taught her every other evening in HIS casting methodology. "I doubt you hear this often," Harry said, "But you have BEAUTIFUL eyes." he said looking her directly in the eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was too street wise to blush, but she did break her gaze, before bolstering her resolve and glaring at him again. "Okay...what'd I do?" he asked with a small smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You know damn well what you did!" she remarked, a slight curl of her lip hiding a smile. "It's ODD that the very next day after saying you'd try to help my situation that I'm suddenly free, and yeah I BET you know what I mean by FREE." she said lifting her brow again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I have no idea what you're talking about gorgeous" Harry told her again flat out lying, but then he had some skill at such, but Kady was not to be deterred.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you really expect me to believe Marina let me go out of the goodness of her heart...Marina?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled slightly, "I think you have a slightly erroneous impression of that woman, she's no where near as bad as you think she is. I understand why you believe it, but she also has to prove herself to be unassailable, but you make friends you'll find a much warmer and kinder woman under the icy facade. And, believe it or not I think she rather likes you. From what I can garner from short conversations you have learned from her more than anyone, including the stuff she usually keeps to herself. Just as a Julia is now doing, you proved yourself something MORE than merely another hedge."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shh" Kady shushed him, "That's not a good word to use in this company."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh don't worry, no one can hear what we're talking about." Harry said, "Your face was asking for privacy when you sat down, so I put up a sort of SEP field, with some silencing."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I didn't even see you move." Kady remarked, impressed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't always have to, this form of magic is quite strange and yet not unfamiliar to my early days of using magic, gestural here, whereas my training wheels were with a wanded focus." Harry told her, happy to be off the original topic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not falling for that," Kady said, "I have a feeling you're telling the truth there and its clear you're skilled and damned good at magic, but I'm not changing topics so easily either."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled, "SO what if I helped? So what, I mean, what does it matter. I told you I would if I could, perhaps I did...who's to say," Harry said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I am, and on top of that I think I say...Thank You Harry" she said her eyes softening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled at her, "If I did help, then you are most Welcome Kady." he told her gently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't want...payment" she asked sticking her tongue into her cheek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wow, do you know how long its' been since I got Oral" he chuckled, "But no. I rather like you and Penny as a couple, and you don't really want to, so no, thanks but no thanks. I don't actually want paying, in fact I don't want you to ever mention it again, and by the by, Marina asked for a pittance. I knew she'd ask for SOMETHING after all, but given the debt accrued in the beginning it could've been huge, but it wasn't. She didn't especially want to keep you under thumb, but felt she had to until she found a way out of it and to save face at the same time. It's all about image with that woman. I am sure you know that much?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kady nodded, "Yeah, she's top bitch around here, I get that."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And not to be indelicate, you're gorgeous."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's indelicate?" she asked confused, "Urh...thanks."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think my meaning just slipped past you there, had she wanted to you could've been doing far more horrible things for her."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kady shivered, "Thanks for that future nightmare."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why...she didn't do it, wouldn't do it to you. What I'm trying to say, she did the least she had to do to maintain the image of the debt owed and no more, and may I remind you taught you to be bloody good even before she then used a shit tonne of credit in contacts to get you a classical education, and yes she got you doing something here, but...I bring you attention to our agreed vision of the woman and how her image is important."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're really trying to soften my position towards her….why?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I like you, I like her, I also think you have a lot to offer each other. You are beholden to no one at all now though, so ignore me by all means. You're your own woman now Kady, your education is already paid for, there is nothing required of you now like there was, there is no real reason for you to worry about your position here, I checked, just in case, your grades are pretty good. You appear to lark about in class, in reality your taking it ALL in. Power wise you and Alice are neck and neck too, if you focused that ability you're using to make it look like you're coasting you could make her look silly."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Tempting" Kady said dryly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't like her hey, not had anything to do with her. She and that floppy haired guy seem to be growing closer though."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, 'Q', Penny hates that guy." Kady said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And you, you are allowed your own opinion." Harry remarked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Actually I don't' have one, he's a total non-entity to me. Don't so much like the way he looks when he thinks I don't notice, but I am hot, I'm used to it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No darling, you're actually beautiful, hot is such a prosaic term."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You charming for a reason?" she asked, "I thought you liked Penny and Me together?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I wasn't aware I was charming you, but glad I am. Not all charm is directed at getting into your knickers you know. I only want to be your friend after all, I DO like you and Penny together. Oddly you compliment each other nicely in my opinion, while knocking off each others harder edges. You two crazy kids stand a chance of something special."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sometimes you sound much older than you look Harry." Kady noted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled, "Perhaps because I am?" he questioned her with a grin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"...Until you get all playful like that and the age slips RIGHT off" she chuckled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry chuckled with her.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>* * *</span>
</p><p>
  <b>On The Way to Physical House, Brakebills, NY State</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Two Nights Later, Evening</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh damn" Penny said as they walked towards the Physical House, a very Frat like Dorm for the Physical school of magic, that threw the BEST parties apparently. They had invited Harry along, mostly for him to potentially meet more people. Frankly they adored Harry, Kady for what he'd done and asked nothing for, and Penny because with him around it was positively peaceful, and he didn't' judge him on the way he acted at times either. So Harry was popular with that pair and that's not to mention he'd basically saved their lives.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What?" Kady asked her man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"HE is here"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry chuckled, "You know his mind well enough that you picked it from a distance and in a crowd?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He's LOUD man" Penny chuckled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You know, just saying this, putting it out there, he could have some latent talent with the mental arts. If he is truly louder than anyone else, either his natural mental shielding is shredded, in which case he needs help, or he is louder because his mental voice is just more powerful, therefore…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Penny sighed, "He could be a telepath in waiting, because his mind is just more powerful." he said resigned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And that means, if you so wished, you could help him. I can't think of anyone better."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I fight off my 'gift' all the time," Penny said making sarcastic air quotes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And thus are more aware of what is and is not possible, the limits and potentials of the mental arts. You are by FAR the most powerful psychic here, I'll tell you that for nothing. You'd almost be ideal to help him get into contact with this ability, I know you hate the guy. Sometimes people just do you know, hate each other but society is built on being able to deal with such, ANYWAY." Harry said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Pussy, you're such a bleeding heart" Kady teased him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know, I know" Harry said holding up his hands, "I'm not saying be his BFF, that's right yeah? Anyway, you don't have to like him to be willing to just help another human being. Pen" Harry told his friend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You totally suck" Penny remarked dryly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I am such a horrible person, I'm aware" Harry said straight faced, then cracked a grin. "Mind you, potentially you won't have to deal with his loudness tonight anyway, I heard you calling him Q. Is that for Quintin?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I think so" Penny said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Brakebills, Q, it's too much of a coincidence really but depending on the reply he gives me to a fairly innocent question will determine if he leaves that place upright or not." Harry said seriously. "If I was a touch more hardcore than I am, that'd be at ALL."Harry said, "But I could be wrong so I need to check first."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He's a real geek man, but other than that even I don't know why I hate the guy, cuz he's pretty harmless to anyone but me" Penny said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He...isn't, not to someone I admire and honestly cherish a whole lot" Harry said, "But...check first," he nodded to himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, with luck I get to see you hit the dick" Penny remarked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Men" Kady remarked rolling her lovely eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were quickly ushered into the famous frat, and the party therein and it was truly jumping, alcohol was flowing freely and there was a good atmosphere. Penny jogged him and pointed out where Q was standing not far from a good looking taller guy who had the air of being in charge there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded, flashing a smile at the pair, then was about to walk off before Kady stopped him, "Oh no...first I brought you here for more than one reason." she said seriously, "And you need to do it first, because Eliot will throw your ass out if you hit Q."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okay, what can I do for you" Harry smiled at her. She had to admit the man was super gorgeous.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Trying not to play with her hair and melt into a puddle of woman goo Kady smiled back, "Come with me, both of you and this, this is NOT for me." she said leading them to an off the room alcove. She sat them down, leaning into Penny. "Under me is a compartment, I have no idea how to get into it. You're looking for a large quartz looking jewel and a book called Roman Cultist Origins, that's not the actual contents, but that's what it'll show."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded with understanding, having just one question to ask. "Why?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You like her, and I've decided that buys her some slack, and really this is just pointing something out, nothing more." Kady said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry smiled, "Okay then" he said, "Excuse me, you've got great legs by the way" Harry said ducking almost between her legs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kady laughed, while Penny rolled his eyes, he knew it was JUST flirting too. Harry actually seemed to believe in the guy code, so he knew he was good there. Anyway, she did have great legs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry retrieved the items, then looked at the book, "Well there's really no reason to steal this, I'll just copy it." Harry mused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, there's an artefact that can do that, but I don't know where to get that...yet." Kady said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Your days of espionage are over Kady sweetheart, and besides I don't need an artefact." he said the book doubling to two volumes in his hand, he put back the original.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nifty" Penny said, "Might get you do to that for me some time."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sure" Harry shrugged. "No skin of anyone nose with that method." Harry told him. Tucking the book into his long black dragon hide dust jacket. He put the amulet around his neck and tucked it into the likewise black shirt he was wearing. HE was more goth than the goths on campus outside of the makeup. "Now, I have an appointment with a dick head." he said striding off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What did he mean, espionage?" Penny asked, "And you do NOT have to answer."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's okay, I finally can. I never did want to hide it from you. But I was in debt, or rather my mother was, and I was...paying it off by lifting stuff here. But what can I say Harry is an amazing guy, I'm free and clear and he has made a point of lightening my position on the one that had...control over me that way." she told him. "There are details I'd rather not get into...not here, somewhere private and I'll tell ya, I don't want there to be anything between us, and luckily Harry has made sure there isn't. Now we can just become what we will become."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Penny smiled slightly, which was a blinding smile from anyone else. "Good, that's...good." he said pulling her tighter to his side, then shifted to look out. "Here he goes."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They saw Harry talking to Q a moment, then Q replied nodding and looking confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>SMACK, THUD. And Q was downed by a seriously impressive right hook. Eliot immediately called Harry on that, and they couldn't hear what was said but Harry smiled charmingly and replied and Eliot actually seemed to soften his pissed off stance, enough that Harry was able to just come back to them and NOT get kicked out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Penny and Kady shared a look, yeah...okay so Harry WAS special.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the delay, if you like Kudos means the world to me, so please feel free to chuck some of that my way :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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